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Kids Addicted to Bad Habits
We are raising a generation of little addicts, and most parents don�t realize the scope of the problem or how they�re contributing to it. I�m not suggesting that most of our children are becoming drug addicts or alcoholics. Instead, they�re falling into "soft addiction" routines that rob them of the time and energy to pursue more meaningful activities.
Mild addictions are any habitual, mindless behavior or mood. The most obvious ones are watching TV, overeating, Internet surfing and playing video or computer games. However numerous others exist�talking bad about others, fantasizing, working out, pitying oneself, going on shopping sprees etcetera. Most parents aren�t distressed by these behaviors, believing rightly that they�re "normal". They become abnormal and diminish a children's development as soon as they become routine, depriving kids of the time, energy and modivation to participate in more significant activities.
Children need alone time to think and investigate. They require space to think about what is important in their lives and to master knowledge and skills that will allow them to accomplish their goals. Soft addictions are enemies of reflection, discovery and skill development.
The spread of soft addictions has been thoroughly documented by the media. Many of these reports reveal that kids spend more time than they have before in front of computers, televisions and video game screens.
Additional researchers have found that a shocking percentage of overweight kids who are softly addicted to junk food and fast food restaurants, preoccupied with celebrity worship and fanatical about shopping for the perfect clothes is also rising. Parents can have perspective and need to be in charge of helping their kids overcome these addictions. Too frequently, they actually model behaviors that encourage kids to fall into soft routines instead. For instance, a great majorit of parents return to their house from work and use the majority of their free hours watching TV, they eat too much or even work out compulsively, not willing to miss their exercise routine no matter what else is happening in their lives. There are also parents who model gossiping behaviors, spending hours each day writing and phoning friends to let them know who is doing what.
I am definitely not saying that parents or kids go "cold turkey" and quit all soft addictions. Most of us have a few addictions. We can still live a full, meaningful existence if these activities are in our life, however, they need to be a minor part. We work with many parents who all say the same thing about their lives: "There must be more than this."
There is, but they will not discover it until they redirect their time and energy to more conscious, fulfilling activities. This does not go to say that they must to try and save the earth and labor in soup kitchens feeding the hungry (though these aren�t bad ideas). Reviving the art of conversation, spending time with friends and loved ones, going for walks in the mountains, sharing their feelings with those they really care about, listening to inspirational music�all these things can add meaning.
Just as important, it can provide a healthy behavioral model for their kids. Kids are wonderful copycats, and softly-addicted parents usually produce softly-addicted kids. It�s very difficult for parents to tell kids to stop watching so much TV when they�re guilty themselves of the same kind of mindless, habitual behaviors. Parents will find, that by learning to use their time in more meaningful ways, their own lives will be more satisfying and they will help create more satisfying lives for their kids.
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Article Source: MxGet Article Directory
Author's Bio
JUDITH WRIGHT is an internationally recognized author, speaker, educator, and seminar leader. She has taught workshops on overcoming soft addictions and creating "More" for 12 years. You can contact her through the Wright Institute for Lifelong Learning. See also this Wright Institute For Lifelong Learning referral.
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